How to Use Your SkillsFuture Credit Wisely
In 1 October 2020, all Singaporeans aged 25 years old and up received a $500 SkillsFuture Credits top-up. This could be used with any existing SkillsFuture credits they already possessed for SkillsFuture Credit-eligible courses.
Singaporeans aged 40-60 years old enjoyed an additional $500 SkillsFuture Credits top-up, though that top-up is only valid for the 200-odd Continuing Education and Training (CET) Centres career transition courses.
Since its inception, SkillsFuture has been aiming to provide Singaporeans with the opportunities to develop their fullest potential throughout life, regardless of their starting points, through a variety of resources. These mostly consists of subsidies for learning courses using the aforementioned credit to offset course fees.
Though this all sounds very good on paper, the surprising truth is that many Singaporeans don’t really know how to use their SkillsFuture credit. We are bombarded with relatives learning to make soap and youngsters writing FB posts about how they will become the next greatest graphic designer tomorrow, but none of that seems particularly real – or particularly useful.
So if you’re sitting at the SkillsFuture page wondering what to do next, we recommend you:
- Think about where you want to go with your career
Reflect on what you have achieved, and where you still want to go. Do you want to stay in your current industry and pick up new skills that will keep you relevant, or do you feel a career switch is in order? In the latter case, you may want to consider an introductory course into your new industry.
- Broaden your considerations to include the “human skills”
While you consider your career track, avoid the assumption that SkillsFuture is only there for hard skills like software certifications or mastering particular financial models. As automation and AI-driven SOPs become ubiquitous, “human skills” like active listening, empathy and effective negotiation have become more important in the workplace than ever.
If you want to improve workplace relationships or keep everyone connected from their home offices, a course in communication may be just the thing your career needs.
- Research the courses available
Having shortlisted what you want to do, it’s time to look at the offerings available. Our JobsCentral Learning portal has a comprehensive list of SkillsFuture Credit-eligible courses.
Of course, there is no need to stop there! We recommend contacting the course providers directly if you have questions, or checking sites like Udemy and NTUC Learning.
- Consider further learning after the credit runs out
Now that you know what you want to learn, it’s time to get to learning it! Apply now!
